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Abstract:

A child safety and alert system and method that detect and monitor access
and egress for assignable locations within a motor vehicle by identifying
designated positions within the vehicle, by monitoring the driver door
and other doors or closures in the vehicle, by activating a timer if the
driver door is opened and closed, and by triggering an alarm if the
designated doors or closures are not opened within a predefined time
interval after the driver door is opened. The alarm can be deactivated
from the driver seat or by a remote device. The system and method are
similarly useful for alerting a driver to retrieve objects from storage
locations within a vehicle.

Claims:

1. A child-alert warning system for a motor vehicle having a driver door
and at least one passenger door, the system comprising: an on-board
digital processor with a user interface; a timer; an alarm; a driver door
sensor proximal to the driver door; and at least one passenger door
sensor proximal to the at least one passenger door; wherein the user
interface is adapted to receive information input by a driver to confirm
the placement of a child passenger in a seat associated with the at least
one passenger door; and wherein, any subsequent opening of the driver
door starts the timer and, after a predetermined interval, activates the
alarm unless the at least one passenger door is also opened within the
predetermined interval.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor associated with a
closure providing access to at least one storage area of the motor
vehicle, wherein the user interface is adapted to receive information
input by a driver to confirm the placement of an object in the storage
area; and wherein any subsequent opening of the driver door starts the
timer and, after a predetermined interval, activates the alarm unless the
closure providing access to the at least one storage area of the motor
vehicle is opened within the predetermined interval.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the storage area is a trunk or glove
box.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm can be deactivated before the
driver exits the motor vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device that can be used by
the driver to deactivate the alarm remotely after exiting the motor
vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the digital processor does not allow the
alarm to be activated until the motor vehicle has traveled a
predetermined distance from a first location where the system is
activated.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the alarm is not activated until a
sensor associated with the at least one passenger door sensor detects
that the at least one passenger door passenger door has traveled a
predetermined activation distance.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising sensors associated with at least two
passenger doors.

9. A retrieval alert system for a motor vehicle having at least one
closed storage area and a closure providing access to the at least one
closed storage area, the system comprising: an on-board digital processor
with a user interface; a timer; an alarm; a driver door sensor proximal
to the driver door; and at least one closure sensor proximal to the at
least one closed storage area; wherein the user interface is adapted to
receive information input by a driver to confirm the placement of an
object in the at least one closed storage area; and wherein, any
subsequent opening of the driver door starts the timer and, after a
predetermined interval, activates the alarm unless the closure is opened
within the predetermined interval.

10. A method for detecting and alarming others of the presence of a child
sitting in a passenger seat of a motor vehicle from which a driver has
exited, the method comprising: providing the motor vehicle with an
onboard digital processor and a user interface; providing the motor
vehicle with at least one driver door sensor and at least one passenger
door sensor associated with a position in the motor vehicle where the
child is seated; and inputting the position where the child is seated to
the digital processor through the user interface; wherein the digital
processor is programmed to activate an alarm if the at least one
passenger door is not opened within a predetermined interval after the
driver door is opened following inputting of the position where a child
is seated.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an access sensor
associated with at least one closed storage area of the motor vehicle and
identifying the at least one closed storage area to the digital
processor, wherein the digital processor is programmed to activate an
alarm unless the access sensor communicates to the digital processor that
a closure providing access to the closed storage area is opened within a
predetermined interval after the driver door is opened.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention is directed to a safety warning system for
motor vehicles, and more particularly, to a system and method that alert
a driver when a child or an inanimate object of interest is left in the
vehicle, generally but not always following movement of the vehicle from
one point to another. The system detects and monitors access and egress
for an assigned location within the motor vehicle.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] In recent years the number of child deaths resulting from drivers
having mistakenly or accidentally left their children inside closed motor
vehicles has escalated to the point of causing widespread concern. Closed
vehicles can quickly reach unsurvivable temperatures for infants or small
children, either during summer in warmer climates or during winter in
colder climates.

[0005] Various alarm and alert warning systems for children left in motor
vehicles are described generally, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,793,291; 6,922,147; 6,930,614; 7,218,211; 7,218,218; 7,348,880;
7,378,979; 7,663,493; U.S. 2003/0122662; and U.S. 2005/0099285. However,
many such prior devices rely upon complex and expensive weight or
pressure sensors that require modifications to motor vehicle seats and
that attempt to differentiate between or perform differently for adult
versus child passengers or inanimate objects such as children's car
seats. Such conventional systems have typically been designed to function
passively and without driver input, and do not allow a driver to
affirmatively designate the location of a child or otherwise
incapacitated passenger, or to designate the location of an object that
should desirably be removed from the vehicle upon reaching a destination.
Other conventional systems do not have the capability to assign monitored
positions that may include, for example, vehicular storage locations such
as trunks, glove boxes or consoles, where inanimate objects can be stored
that a driver may want to be reminded to remove from a vehicle upon
exiting the vehicle.

SUMMARY

[0006] The present invention is a child-alert warning system and method
for motor vehicles that detects and monitors ingress and egress (for
driver and passengers) and/or access to and retrieval from (for inanimate
objects) assignable locations within a motor vehicle. Upon starting a
motor vehicle, a driver is prompted, for example, to input the location
of any child or object occupying a particular seat or storage location in
the motor vehicle for which retrieval is required or desired upon
reaching a destination. According to one preferred embodiment, the system
of the invention then monitors the driver's door to determine when it
opens again after the location of a passenger or object to be retrieved
has been identified. If monitoring sensors detect that the door, cover or
lid associated with any driver-identified seat or storage position is not
opened within a preset time interval after the driver's door is opened
(i.e., after the driver has presumably exited the vehicle), an alarm
sounds to alert the driver that a child or object previously designated
for retrieval is possibly still inside the vehicle. The alarm can be
deactivated or over-ridden by opening the door at the designated position
or location, or from the driver's seat by the driver before exiting the
vehicle, or by a remote device carried by the driver. If desired, the
system can optionally be configured so that the previously designated
vehicular positions remain designated for successive cycles of operation
unless cleared or re-designated by the driver. Alternatively, the system
can be configured to require a driver input even if the previously
designated vehicular positions are to be retained without change for the
next use of the vehicle.

[0007] It is believed that the system and method of the invention can be
implemented relatively inexpensively in most motor vehicles by modifying
existing on-board control and data systems as are now commonly used. Such
systems, which typically provide information to the driver regarding
vehicular status and operation, direction of travel, inside and outside
temperature, etc., can be modified to query and receive input from the
driver so as to allow the driver to identify particular seating and
storage positions within the vehicle, to monitor opening and closing of
the driver's door after particular vehicular seating and storage
positions are identified, to initiate a timing sequence during which the
door at each driver-designated position is monitored for opening and
closing within a predetermined interval after the driver's door is
subsequently opened, and to alert the driver and/or others if the door(s)
to all driver-designated positions or locations are not opened within
that interval.

[0008] The system and method disclosed herein are believed to differ from
other known conventional child-alert systems in at least the following
ways: Drivers can retain control over whether the previous designation of
monitored locations is continued, modified or canceled; sensors inside
passenger seats are not required; and the system can also be used to
provide reminders regarding retrieval of inanimate objects disposed in
passenger seats, in floorboard locations proximal to passenger doors, or
in other enclosed storage locations within a vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0009] The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained
in relation to the following drawing, which is a simplified diagrammatic
view of the system of the invention as installed inside a motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] As depicted in FIG. 1, one preferred embodiment of the present
invention is a child-alert safety warning system that is based on access
or ingress and egress detection for assignable locations in a motor
vehicle. Motor vehicle 10, as depicted in simplified diagrammatic form,
has an on-board digital processor or computer 12, a user interface such
as a digital panel 26 that is linked to digital processor 12, a glove box
54, a trunk 52, a driver seat 28, a passenger seat 50, a first rear
passenger seat 46, and a second rear passenger seat 48. Additionally,
motor vehicle 10 has a driver door 30, a passenger door 36, a first rear
passenger door 32, and a second rear passenger door 34. Installed in
vehicle 10 are driver door sensor 14, passenger door sensor 18, first
rear door sensor 16, second rear door sensor 20, trunk sensor 22, and
glove box sensor 24. The system of the present invention also features a
timer 56 or timing circuitry or software that can be integrated into the
digital processor 12, an alarm 58, and a remote device 60, all of which
are electronically linked to the digital processor 12. Although this
embodiment of the invention is described in the context of a motor
vehicle having four doors, a glove box and a trunk, it will be
appreciated that the subject system is similarly effective when
configured for use with the rear seat passenger doors only, or with the
front passenger door only where the car is a model having only one or two
doors, or no back seat.

[0011] According to a preferred method for operating the system of the
invention, after vehicle 10 is started, a display panel associated with
user interface 26 preferably displays a query statement asking the driver
which passenger seats, if any, contain children or objects of interest.
The driver inputs the information into the user interface 26 using any
suitable technology, such as a touch-sensitive screen, other manual
controls provided with the vehicle, voice commands, or the like, that are
operatively linked to on-board digital processor or computer 12, thereby
identifying one or more passenger seats as having, in this embodiment of
the invention, a child occupant. Additionally, the driver's input in
response to the initial query can indicate that an item has been placed
in any of the previously discussed passenger positions or in another
vehicle storage positions such as trunk 52 or glove box 54. On-board
computer 12 then monitors openings and closings for driver door 30, other
doors associated with other designated seat (or floorboard) locations,
trunk 52, and glove box 54. Once the designated position has been input,
the designated position(s) can remain designated until canceled by the
driver or until new positions are designated by driver input.

[0012] The system of the invention can desirably trigger an alert within a
predetermined interval after driver door 30 is opened, whether or not
vehicle 10 has been moved. This can be significant if, for example, a
driver places a child in a child safety seat installed in a passenger
position of vehicle 10, but then exits the vehicle, possibly closing the
door, to go back into a house, store, or the like, to do something before
moving the car and is distracted and forgets that a child has been left
inside the vehicle. Alternatively, if vehicle 10 has been placed in gear
and is subsequently placed in "Park," on-board computer 12 monitors door
openings and closings for driver door 30 and the other door(s) associated
with the identified and designated seat positions. If driver door 30
opens, timer 56 or a similarly effective timing circuit is activated by
on-board computer 12.

[0013] The subject system is preferably programmed to trigger an alert if
any passenger door 32, 34, 36 or any door, lid or other closure providing
access to any storage location 52, 54 that has been designated by the
driver is not opened within a predetermined interval after driver door 30
is opened. If desired, sensors 14, 16, 18, 20 corresponding to each of
doors 30, 32, 36 and 34, respectively, can be positioned, configured and
calibrated to trigger an alarm only if such door has been opened to at
least a predetermined distance of travel as indicated by arrows 38, 40,
44, 42 to the positions shown as 30', 32', 36' and 34', respectively.
This would, for example, allow a driver or someone else who has
inadvertently failed to completely close a door when loading vehicle 10
to again open and close a door without potentially triggering an alert.
In most cases, however, it is believed that for safety purposes, any
opening of any of driver door 30 or of any other driver-identified door
should be sufficient to trigger the alarm sequence.

[0014] If each passenger door associated with a passenger seat that has
been identified as being occupied by a child is not also opened within a
predefined time interval after the driver's door closes, alarm 58 is
activated to notify the driver and other nearby persons that an
unattended child is possibly still inside the car. If any other door
corresponding to a designated passenger seat, trunk 52 or glove box 54
has been identified as containing an item is not also opened within a
predefined time interval, alarm 58 is activated to notify the driver that
the door associated with such position, or the trunk 52 or glove box 54
might still contain an item.

[0015] The predefined time interval can comprise a preprogrammed default
value that can be overridden manually, or can optionally be set on an ad
hoc basis by the driver through the driver query prompt that initiates
the cycle of operation of the system. The length of the predefined time
interval can range from several seconds to several minutes or more. Alarm
58 can be an audible or visual alarm, or both, and if desired, can also
be augmented by a programmable feature that will call one or more phones
or send text or email messages upon activation. Alarm 58 can preferably
be deactivated from driver seat 28 or by using remote device 60 such as,
for example, an infrared or RF transmitter, predefined keystrokes on a
cell phone, or the like.

[0016] Other alterations or modifications of the invention disclosed
herein will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art upon reading this disclosure, and it is intended that the scope of
the invention be limited only by the broadest possible interpretation of
the appended claims to which the inventor is legally entitled.